Embracing Life

“I’ve learned that I can embrace a lot more people with one arm than I could ever have embraced with two.” – Bethany Hamilton

On Sunday I saw the movie Soul Surfer.  It is about what happened to a young 13 year old surfer, Bethany Hamilton, when she lost her arm in a shark attack.  The shark was 14 feet long.  In the event, she lost 60% of her blood.  Due to some quick thinking from both the father and the brother of her best friend, her life was saved by a gifted, compassionate doctor and Divine intervention. 

The film touched on many issues.  Instant difference.  Healing and rehab.  Images of beauty. Wantedness for future intimacy.  Purpose and meaning. Worldview:  Is life seen the same as it always was or is it forever changed?  God‘s plan.  Parenting:  should she be encouraged to find other things in life to do if she could not do what she did before, or should the daughter be encouraged to do what she is gifted at with modification, such as a handle on her board?  Assertiveness: “This prosthetic arm won’t do what I need it to do, I don’t want it. It’s of no use to me!” Venus De Milo. One armed Barbie. 

A poignant scene in the movie was when a reporter asked Bethany “How did you feel?” She turns to the reporter wordlessly, showing her gashed, scarred shoulder.  There was nothing more to be said.  Silent words:  “How would you feel?”  One soul tsunami juxtaposed with an actual one.  In life, we all catch a bad wave now and then. What matters is getting back up on your board when knocked down by it.   Many waves in a lifetime keep coming, and one must be resilient and courageous to meet them with intention.

I would like to talk to my friends about the difference between being born this way or made this way by a life event.  Do they ever miss what they had?  A good friend once said “I don’t feel disabled until something or someone reminds me that I am.”  Little things. An image in the mirror. A comment by an onlooker.  Larger things.  Not being considered an equal contender in life. 

I will write more when I edit this post, these are things I am thinking.  I think I will show a one armed Barbie or a little Kelly without hair and a cute scarf at my next speaking engagement as the “toy story” attention getter. I used to make braces out of tin foil and bandaids so my doll would look like me.   I noticed in ads for back to school and holidays that the kids did not look like me. I felt misunderstood. I always felt the staring and bullying would be decreased if disability/ability were more mainstream. Bethany is succeeding in that regard! 🙂